Combining knowledge for a fundamental innovation of land use to combat global environmental challenges

Progress and Results (2024 Year)

Research purpose and content

（Program Objectives）

To mitigate and adapt to global environmental problems, the relationship between various regional socioeconomic activities and natural capital need to be substantially improved. This program strives to present a new vision of land ownership and use while developing a general-purpose and science-based institutional framework and policies. It aims to achieve social implementation and the adoption of scaled-up mechanisms that drive changes in land use. Finally, the program aims to build and share its findings internationally. 

（Outline）

Land use is deeply related to global environmental issues. It is well known that greenhouse gas emissions from socio-economic activities carried out on land and the deterioration of ecosystem services due to changes in land use constitute the core of global environmental problems. On the other hand, land use not only plays an important role in food production to support the world's growing population, but also contributes to the global environment, such as mitigating flood damage and preserving ecosystems by securing retarding basins and buffer zones. It also has the potential to contribute to adaptation to environmental problems. Furthermore, improving land use will also help alleviate global environmental problems by improving watershed ecosystems, increasing carbon storage in soils and forests, and utilizing renewable energy.　

However, reports such as the IPCC indicate that improvements in land use are not progressing smoothly from a global perspective, and that dramatic improvements are required in light of the multilayered relationship between land use and global environmental issues. In doing so, it is necessary to envision improvements within a certain geographical area, rather than focusing on individual pieces of land. This is because, in many cases, the effect is first manifested or becomes greater when it is spread over the area. Furthermore, much land is private property, and in order to apply certain rules to its use, it is necessary to be keenly aware of the fundamental question of whether the current thinking on land ownership and use needs to be changed. The fact that land use forms the basis of local culture and the mutual complementarity and interconnectedness between cities and rural areas are also important points of view when considering land use improvements.

With these in mind, while making full use of scientific knowledge, the program will: (1) create new systems and initiatives for improving land use; (2) present institutional frameworks and policies to scale up these; and (3) contribute to the mainstreaming and international standardization of frameworks and policies by playing the role of an international "policy ecosystem" (see "Research Progress") that shares ideas and creates innovative ideas.

　　（A wide variety of drivers affecting land use）

Challenges and achievements for this year

As a program, the most important tasks are to provide feasibility study support for the adoption of new projects and to support the construction of a research base for the PR project that began in FY2024.

1. Support for FS under this program

Continuing from the previous year, the "Land Use Innovation Program Seminar Series 7-12" was held as follow, and the program sought to build a foundation for understanding common issues related to land use. In particular, the TD workshop for FS representatives and individual exchanges of opinions with former EREC members were positioned as concrete support for formulating FR plans.

【7th】

“Current status and issues of international agricultural trade negotiations, and implications for agricultural and agro-environmental policies”

Mr. Tetsuro Ushikusa

August 8, 2024

【8th】

“Workshop on TD Research for the FS leaders and members under the Land Use Innovation Program”

Speakers and Organizaers: Margaret KREBS (Project Director, US National Science Foundation grant, Transdisciplinary Training Collaboratory: Building Common Ground, Stanford University),

Daniel NILES (Professor, RIHN), Ria LAMBINO (Specially Appointed Specialist, RIHN)

September 27, 2024

【9th】 

Closed workshop between FS leaders and Professor. Bin Wong of UCLA

October 2024

【10th】

The frontier of agri-environmental policy

Dr. Stephen Chaplin（Principal Adviser, Environmental Land Management at Natural England, UK）

October 15, 2024

【11th】

FairFrontier Seminar ”The Political Frontier: Bridging Political Economy & Political Ecology”

January 24, 2025

【12th】

SATOCONN Project and Land Use Program Seminar

“Transforming policy and practice for sustainable land use”

February 3, 2025

2. Selection of a new FR project

The second project following the SATOCONN project was selected from six FSs. At the EREC (External Research Evaluation Committee) held in 2024, the following three projects were reviewed as a result of the in-house selection, and based on the results, Dr. Tamura's project was selected as the PR.

After the PR period in FY2025, FR is scheduled to begin in FY2026. In the EREC review, we have continued to provide the points that we place importance on as a program as shown in the table below, as in the previous year, and have attempted to incorporate an integrated perspective on the program into the new selection process. This table is also planned to be used as a benchmark for the comprehensive evaluation of the program.

 3. Support for building a research structure for the PR project

We supported the building of a research structure for the SATOCONN project, which began PR in FY2024. In the latter half of the fiscal year, we supported the building of a team at RIHN consisting of senior researchers, research promoters, and administrative assistants. We also supported the hiring of RAs, who play an important role in running their respective living labs for the overseas core collaborative researchers. Furthermore, we co-hosted the 12th Land Use Innovation Program Seminar Series with the project. In this seminar, we were conscious of communication with the policy side, which is a particular focus for the program and the SATOCONN project, and discussed the future of land use with government officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the National Association of Towns and Villages, and Ikeda Town in Fukui Prefecture.

Future tasks

1. Ensuring the integration of the program

Since the selection of new projects as a program was completed in FY2024, FY2025 will be the first year of integrated operation of the program. Therefore, the following is planned to build cross-sectional connections between projects and, through them, the integration of the program. 

① Creation of a Program Advisory Board (tentative name)

The biggest challenge of the program is how to build an institutional framework for scaling up and out land use, which is highly dependent on local contexts and pathways, in order to address global environmental issues. To this end, we will create an advisory board made up of international experts on land use, and obtain advice on scale-up strategies based on the results of each project.

②Change in the purpose of the Land Use Innovation Program Seminar Series

Until now, the main purpose was to support new FR candidate projects, but now that this phase has ended, we will design a seminar series in consultation with each project to strengthen the connections between each project.

２.Establishment of outcome evaluation methods for the program

Closely related to ① above, we aim to establish outcome evaluation methods for the program. Based on the items presented at the EREC review, we will proceed with the consideration of more specific evaluation methods for the program.